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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27568900">Bring Order to the Whole</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahcakes613/pseuds/sarahcakes613'>sarahcakes613</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Law &amp; Order: SVU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkward Tension, Double Dating, F/M, M/M, Meeting the Parents, brief Olivia Benson/Nick Amaro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:27:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,422</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27568900</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahcakes613/pseuds/sarahcakes613</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sonny and Rafael are waiters at Sonny's family's restaurant, which means they get a front seat to the love lives of their patrons.</p><p>Sometimes, that translates to getting to watch as a father and son learn they're dating people who used to date each other.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nick Amaro/Mike Dodds, Olivia Benson/William Dodds, Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Barisi Professions Bingo</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Bring Order to the Whole</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>On Halloween, Kat retweeted a Nick Amaro gif. Within moments, Sophie and Gayle both referenced it in the context of Nick's partner only Soph mentioned Olivia and Gayle mentioned Mike. Naturally I had to come along and say "I wonder how awkward it is for Mike and Will, knowing their significant others definitely boned at some point before they came along."</p><p>Thus, the most awkward double date in existence was spawned.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>1. Tension</p><p>They blow in with a gust of wind, exhilaration carrying them all the way to their table where they collapse. They’re both in dress slacks, badges clipped to their belts, but the heated looks they’re exchanging are anything but squad camaraderie.</p><p>“Good evening, my name is Sonny, can I get you started with some drinks?”</p><p>Neither of them look up at him as they respond.</p><p>“A glass of white wine,” she says in a throaty whisper.</p><p>“Tequila,” he says. “Hold the lime and salt.”</p><p>Sonny looks at them, and then at the menus they are ignoring. “Will you be needing a minute to look at the menus?”</p><p>They nod in unison, but he’s not sure they’ve actually heard him.</p><p>As he walks away he hears a giggle, and he rolls his eyes at Rafael as he steps behind the bar.</p><p>“We’ve got lovebirds at table 7,” he comments.</p><p>“Anyone we know?” Rafael asks, peering over.</p><p>“Nah, never seen either of them here before.”</p><p>Rafael takes them their drinks and when he returns he is holding the menus and wearing a faint look of disgust.</p><p>“They asked for two slices of cake with whipped cream to go.”</p><p>Sonny arches an eyebrow. “Okay?”</p><p>Raf looks up at him, his eyes big. “They asked if I could leave out the cake.”</p><p>Sonny whistles. “Someone’s gettin’ lucky tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>2. Balance</p><p>“Hey, you remember that woman who was here a few weeks ago, the cougar with the whipped cream?”</p><p>Sonny grimaces at Raf’s descriptor but nods. “Yeah, what about her?”</p><p>“The guy she was with, he was youngish, yeah? Around your age?”</p><p>Sonny thinks about it. “Yeah, sounds about right, why?”</p><p>Raf keeps his hand below the bar but points, and there she is seated once again at table 7, only this time she’s with an older man who is holding her hand across the table, stroking it with his thumb.</p><p>“Huh. Maybe it’s a work thing, like she’s undercover or something.”</p><p>As she leans forward, her jacket falls open and her badge gleams. The older man has a matching one sticking out of his coat pocket.</p><p>“Or not,” Raf pats Sonny’s shoulder. “You can take her dessert order this time.”</p><p>“Good evening, my name is Sonny, can I get you started with some drinks?”</p><p>The older man looks up at him in surprise. “Oh, yes. I’ll have a scotch, neat, and a white wine for the lady. And a slice of that delicious sounding apple pie. With two forks.”</p><p>He gazes adoringly at the woman, and she smiles serenely back at him.</p><p>“Well, she’s got a type at least.” Sonny comments when he gets back to the bar.</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“Did you see his eyebrows??”</p><p> </p><p>3. Light</p><p>“Huh.” Sonny says.</p><p>“What?” Raf asks, passing behind him with a tub of glasses to wash. He sets them down and rests his hand on Sonny’s lower back as Sonny gestures to table 7.</p><p>The tequila drinker is back, and he’s got someone new today. Another man, tall, broad-shouldered with a dimpled smile. Their legs are entwined under the table, their fingers entwined above it.</p><p>“Huh,” Rafael replies.</p><p>“Good evening, my name is Sonny, can I get you started with some drinks?”</p><p>“Hey, Sonny! That would be great. Can I get an aperol spritz?” The taller man beams at him.</p><p>Sonny blinks and then mentally chides himself for his own toxic ideas of masculinity, because he’d been expecting the order to be something dark and peaty, like a malt beer. He turns to the other man.</p><p>“Tequila, neat, right?”</p><p>His eyebrows go up at Sonny’s memory, but he nods. “Yeah, thanks.”</p><p>“They’re cute.” Rafael rests his chin in his hand and watches the two men as they play footsie under the table.</p><p>“It’s weird, though.” Sonny muses. “I mean, he really seemed to have chemistry with that lady and then suddenly she’s back with a way older guy and he’s in here with, well, also a guy?”</p><p>Rafael shrugs. “Sometimes it takes people a minute to figure out what they really want.”</p><p> </p><p>4. Harmony</p><p>The woman and her older gentleman friend are seated at their usual table, but side-by-side today. When Sonny goes to take their drink order they hold off.</p><p>“We’re waiting for two more,” the older man says. “My son asked me to meet his new partner and I decided it was high time I did the same.”</p><p>“Congratulations,” Sonny smiles. “Meeting the family is a big step, you must be very excited.”</p><p>The man pats his friend’s hand, and she ducks her head as she smiles. “Have you done it?” He asks Sonny.</p><p>Sonny chuckles and points to the bar. “I got lucky,” he says. “They already knew him, I just had to say ‘hey ma, pops, I’m dating one of your other waiters.’”</p><p>The man’s eyes widen and he laughs. “Well, I hope I have a bit of your luck today. We’re all in the same business too, so maybe that’s a good sign.”</p><p>Sonny returns to the bar and then turns as the door opens.</p><p>“Oh shit,” Sonny mutters under his breath.</p><p>Rafael looks up from where he’s wrapping cutlery. “What?”</p><p>He tilts his head towards table 7, and then the door.</p><p>The two men are unzipping their coats as they walk towards table 7, continuing whatever conversation they’d been having as they walked in.</p><p>“Oh shit,” Rafael whispers.</p><p>They both watch, transfixed, as the two men move towards the table and then stop.</p><p>Sonny’s not sure whose eyebrows are raised the highest, but all four of the patrons are frozen in a shocked tableau for a moment before they erupt.</p><p>“Dad? Captain Benson?”</p><p>“Liv? The chief, really?!”</p><p>“Mike, I didn’t realize you were still in touch with any of the squad.”</p><p>“Nick, I mean Amaro, this is…a surprise.”</p><p>The two younger men collapse into their seats, and the older man lowers himself, having stood when he saw his son.</p><p>“Tag, you’re it.” Rafael hisses.</p><p>“What, no, I’m not getting involved in that,” Sonny hisses back.</p><p>“You owe me.” Rafael mutters. “I still have flashbacks of being asked for two slices of cake with whipped cream, hold the cake.”</p><p>Sonny flicks water at him. “Fine, but I’m telling Teresa not to give you any of the good shifts next weekend. You're taking me on a real date, somewhere we don’t work.”</p><p>He approaches the table cautiously.</p><p>“Good evening, my name is Sonny, can I get you started with some drinks?”</p><p>No one speaks for a few seconds, and then the woman speaks up.</p><p>“I suspect you already know all our drink orders,” she fixes Sonny with a stern look. “But maybe add a round of shots to that, as well.”</p><p>“And something I can pour in my eyes,” one of the younger men mumbles. He then winces and gives his partner a wounded look. “Did you just kick me?”</p><p>The woman’s shoulders shake and it takes Sonny a moment to realize she is laughing.</p><p>“This is what I get for not dating lawyers,” she continues to laugh through the hand she has just palmed over her face.</p><p>Her partner’s eyebrows are knitted firmly together as he looks at his son. “Michael, I hope this didn’t begin while you were still with the squad.”</p><p>“It really didn’t,” the younger man who isn’t Michael huffs. He shoots a pointed look at the woman.</p><p>The father’s eyes follow his and his eyebrows go even higher but remain knitted, a feat Sonny is honestly a little impressed by.</p><p>“Olivia?” He asks, and she presses her lips together.</p><p>“It wasn’t serious?” She offers by way of explanation.</p><p>The son’s eyes widen. “Wait, Nick? Liv is the one you were talking about when you said you had experience with dating superior officers?”</p><p>“You dated, but it wasn’t serious?” The older man exclaims.</p><p>Sonny backs away from the table, almost breaking into a run in his need to get back to the bar and update Rafael.</p><p>He makes Rafael deliver the drinks and shots. Sonny keeps shooting nervous looks over at the table but Raf returns with an empty tray and looking unscathed.</p><p>“There appears to be a tacit agreement that they will all get through this dinner and never speak of former involvements again.”</p><p>Sonny nods. “Seems like a wise decision.”</p><p>Rafael gestures to the restaurant at large. “I may have recommended a custody arrangement for table 7, since they all seem to enjoy it here.”</p><p>Sonny rolls his eyes fondly. “My boyfriend, the night school law student.”</p>
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